Improvement in type-distributing machines



8Sheetrs-Sheet1. `C. W. DICKINSON.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE. No.174,900. A Patented March 21,1876.

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f//WM/ c.w.n1cKINsoN.

TYPE DISTR'IBUTING MACHINE. N0.1'74,900. Patented M arch 21,1876.

f 8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

NFETER8. PHOTGUTHOGRPMER, WASHINGTON, D. C4

8 Sheets-Sheet 4. C. W. DICKINSON.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE. No.174,900. Patented March 21, 187e.

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N- PETERS, FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D CV C. W. DNKINSON.

TYPE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE.

Patented March 21,1876.

VIVIV 8 Sheets-'Sheen 5.

NJETERS, PNOTU-LITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON, D. C.

@Wies/Umm 8 Sheets-Sheet 6.

C. W. DICKINSQN. TYPE DISTRIBUTING MAcHINE.

No.174.900. Patented March. 21,1876.

NJTERS. FHDYO-LITHDGRIPHER. WASHINGTON. D. CV

UNITED STATES CHARLESKW. DIOKINSON, OF WASHINGTON, D. C., ASSIGNOR TOSAMUEL W. i

PATENT QEFICE.

GREEN, OF BROOKLYN, AND `SAID GREEN ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD N.

-DIVCKERSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

TRUSTEE FOR HENRY A. BURR.

IMPROVEMENT IN TYPE-DISTRIBUTING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. l 74,900, dated March21, 1876; application filed August S, 1872.

' To all /whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. DIOKIN- `sola, of Washington, District ofColumbia, have invented sa new-and useful Im proveinent in Machinery forDistributing Printing-Types,

of which the following is a description:

A columnor page of prin-tingtypes havingbeen used-for printing, must bedistributedE into separate holders, euch ot' which contains types of onedenomination only, preparatory to a second settingfof theml for a newuse. Ordinarilythis operation is'performed by hand,

and, although many attempts .have been made to do it by machinery, thediiculties attending ils-are so great that none ofthe machines have beenysuiicien-tly practical to supersede manual labor My invention isdesigned to overcome these diiculties, and to distributetype'autoinatically from a column yinto'the.

separate channels of a-case, inwhich -t-he'vare so -arranged as to lbeready for use in an antomatictype-setter.

The series yof loperations by which "this result is' produced is this:First, a line of types is sepa-rated from the column oi' which it formsa part,"andvby itself 1s presented to the action of lthe?machine fordistribution. Secondly, a single type iseseparated from the end ot theline, audvforced into the hold ot' a travel-ing carrier, which receivesit and transports vit away from zthepeint of reception, giving plucef toanother carrier, which, in its turn, repeats the movement. Thil-diy, thetypes thus held in these carriers are moved along step by step,

resting'ateach step, and while at rest sub- -Bted tothe contact ot'feelers, (of which there are asmany-as there are denominations ot'typesfto be distributed,) whichare brought ,agninstthe exposed edges ofthe type,.and

which ascertain the denomination of the type by entering, or failing toenter, notches cut in the edges of the type in di'erent positionsland"d-iiierent combinations for different denominations of tyle.Fourthly, when a type is brought'in'front of a t'eeler whose projectionsmatch the notches cut in its edge, a'. hook moving with the feelingapparatus is allowed' to fall and catch a sliding ejector in thecarrier, against which the type is supported,

and as the feeling apparatus is withdrawn, the hook pulls the slidingejector forward, and thus -forces th'etype from-the carrier, and permitsit to enter the mouth of a conductor,- through which it drops into theappropriate one ot a series of channels constituting a case placed atthe 'bottom ends of the type-conductors. Fit-thly, when in the saidchannel the' type is pushed along far enough to make room for the nextone which may drop, and as each succeeding one drops the whole Arow inthat channel is pushed along a distance equal to the thickness of saidtype last -entering, and there left. When the case is full, it may beremoved and placed in a setting-machine. y

The following is a `description of the machine as constructed by me,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part-ot' thedescription thereof.

Figure 1 represents a front perspective view .of themachine; Fig. 2,atop view .or

genera-l plan; Fig. 3, -a rear view oi` themachine; Fig. 4, a view ofone end. Thesefour figures connected' give the relative positions ot'the various levers, wheels, cams, shafts, carriers, hooks, &c. Fig. 5 isa transverse sectional view of the driving-pulley,frictionclntch, andstarting and "stopping apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a portion of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is anenlarged view, showing ya section of the bed or bearing forthe type:chairs or carriers; also the bearing orguide :for the-tbeler-bars, andappropriate attachmen-t forgiving motion to the same. Fig. 8

serves more fully to illustrate Fig. 7,v being a l top view or" saidfigure, and, in connection with Figs. 4, 9, and 10, intended to show themanner ofplacing the type in the carriers. Fig. 9 gives a front view ot'the front plate P, Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is an end view of one ot thecarriers.` Fig. 1.1 is an elevation ofthe carrier, Vwith a part removedto show the mortise or cavity for receiving the ejector.4 Fig. l2 is thetype-ejector, for removing the type from the carriers. Fig. 13 is an endView of the type-galley and movable hearing for the type, andattachments for giving motion to the same. Fig-14 is a representation ofthe feed-clutch alld arms or levers for regulating its action. Figs. 15and 16 are lnodilied forms of the apparatus for separating the.illdividual types from the lille, and forcing them into the carriers.Figs. 17, 18,19, and 20 rep resellt top views, showing th'e type-driver,the

- ty pe-guidillg tongue andits controllin g-spl'in g,

the rest-block alld its governing-lever, andthe.

which actnate the drivers which transfer the carriers flolll one way tothe other, and thel plnngers which more the carriers sidewise in theirways. I

The several parts of 'the machine' .arejsupported by stallclliolls orposts X O, and suitable brackets rising from the bed-plate A, and areactuated byl a main shaft, 0, journaled ill hangers X", depending fromthe bed B, and; driven by a pulley, A', ill manner hereinafterexplained.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A colllmll or page ot' typeis laid ill the galley D, which is set at all inclination sncient toprevent the type froln falling apart or separating at the exposed endsof the lines. V4 representsa page-follower, {itt-ed to slide ill thegalleyD, whichl is pressed against the page of type .by the weigllt W,and which shoves forward the page, lille by line, as the vlines aresuccessively distributed. E is a lever orswinging plate, which, ill theposition shown ill Flgs. 1 and 13, slluts the inside elld 'of the galleyD, and prevents the type from being shoved bythe page-follower anyfarther l' than illto contact with its face. This lever E .is a plate oftllill metal, somewhat thinner than the tllicklless of a lille of type,alld is capable of vibrating aroulld a cellter, 10, so as -to fall belowthe lower edge of the page of type in the galley D. Wllell it does fallinto" that position, the page of type is then pushed forward by thepage-follower V", and the up per edge ofthe swinging plate E is ullderthe l forward'line of type, and when the swinging plate E is raisedagain illto the position shown, it elevates that line oftype into achannel -formed by the parallel plates F and 9, Figs. 2

and 18, where it stands upoll the edge ofthe .swinging plate-E in alevel position. -The plate 9 is rigidly secured to the bed B, and

the plate F is removable, being held in place by tellons 1 entering oneofits ends,l while its oppositeend rests upon theupper edge of one sideot' the galley, where it is held by a lockingarln, 2, whose shoulderbea'rs against it. -This plate can thus be renloved when', access to thetype under or behind it is desired. The

line-follower G is pressed up against the outer end of this ,line oftype by the weight X'", whichis connected with that follower by a cordrulllling over a pulley, and this'follower -shoves forward-the line oftype as fast as .the

machine tak'es away the single types from the inner elld of the lille.The cord lis attached to the weight by all intervening spring, 1l, whichcauses the lille-follower to press forward without jarrillg against thetype. Whell a lille of type has been exhausted, alld it becomesnecessary to sllpply another in its place, the line-follower G iswithdrawn, the swinging plate E drops down below the bottoln of the nextlille of type ilr the page, the page of type is pushed forward by thepage-follower V, the swinging plate Eis raised to its original position,and the lille-follower G again perlllitted to press upon the elld of,the new lille -of type,repeati ll g the operatioll just described. Thiscompound effect is produced by the cooperation of the transverse sllaftK, the ratch-i et U", the pawl E'", tllelevers K'" and Gf", (shown illdetail' ill Figs. 3, 13, and 14,) and 'the'ca'nl H, the levers N alldL".(Shown in Fig. 1.) The modey of their operation is this:

A pin, p", on the line-follower G comes in con- I tact, with theupperend of the le\'er`K Fig. 1, as seen ill Fig. 2,' when the line-followerG has traveled near the extrelne elld of its lnotioll ill pushingforward the line of type, and presses the .lever K' over toward theplate F.

As a consequence, 'the shaft -HU vibrates a little, and the lever G'",which 4is llpoll the shaft H'", is carried away from the elld of thepawl E'", which otherwise rests against the end of the lever G". Thepawl, being thus released, is forced by the spring F'", Fig. 14,

into colltact with'the ratchet, whereby the clutch-wheel D' 'is for themoment-connected with the ratchet C'", which-ls in constant no tationimparted to it through a worm on the main 1, and 4, Fig. 13. The am Hoperatssjupon the-pill at the end'of theflever N", which, vibrates.around the shaft M', and which=tllere by causes the lever L toimovevawayffrbln the plate F. A pill, 21, on the line-follower G carriesa friction-roller, 22, which projects across the plane in which thelever L'" moves, and is outside of the lever, and,as a consequence, whenthe lever isdriven. back by the cam H, it withdraws the linefollower. Gfrom its advanced position, and makesrooln forthe new lineof type to beraised into' the position from which the last of lilleftype has beenpushed; at the same time the calu'4, operating upon the swinging-plate Ethrough the pin 5, Fig. 13, allows it'to'collle down below the lille oftype, and again elevates it when the type have been Vpushed forward inthe galley D a'cross itsupper edge. The lever K', being relieved from.the pressure of the pill on' the line-fob lower G by the 'withdrawal otthe said follower, lis pressed outward again by thespril'lg S todriving-shaft O ofthe machine-.and the' wormwheel B"r Theclutch-wheelDlfis se# Fig. 13, as the shaftvK rotates; and, as a con'4sequence, at the end of one revolution the trawl E'" is disengaged fromthe ratchet, and the shaft K ceases to rotate, leaving the cams in the.position shown in Fig. 1 until the pawl -E"' is again allowed to engagewith the ratch- '2 and 17 to 22, which in` one position closes up theend of the channel, and so prevents any type from being forced from itby the liliefollower Gr. This movable rest 7` rises from one end'ofasupportingplate, 33, which slides freely inisuitahle bearings, in whichit has a motion equal to the thickness of the thickest type, and is heldin position by the lever 8,

the other end of which is controlled by a cam,

`apparatus for detaching altype from the end ,of lthe line and drivingit into the carrier. -The object of this modification .is to apply aless'degree of force to the type which is tohe 20, on the main shaft ofythe machine. This cam gives a'reciprocating movement to the powerend ofthe lever in the direction of the main shaft 'of' the machine, and is soshaped that when the type presses against the movahle rest 7, (which issupported by the end of the lever 8,) as the shaft 0 revolves, the lever8 permits the movable rest 7 to gradually vield under the pressure givento the type by the line-follower G. The rest 7 is cut away, as

in Fig. 22, to admit the passage of the type,-

driver J through it, and also to accommodate in like manner thespring-tongue 15. When lthe movable rest 7 has thus beenpermi'tted'tomove far enough to allow the thick-ness of one type to pass beyond theend of the type-chan! nel, the type-driver J, which has been pressingupon the edge of the type, drives the type 'before it, as in Fig. 18,cutting it oli' from the line of type of which it was the advanced one,and the. t ypeldri'\'er J closes the end ofthe channel, and so preventsany further movenient ofthe line of type.

This type-driver J is at the end of'a lever, U, Fig. vibrating on theshaft Km', and coni iected,' through that shaft, with the lever J',whose end is operated upon by the cam M. on

the main shaft 0. A spring, S4, forces thev leverjJ' `into contact withthe cam M, and as the cam permits' it the spring causes the shaft Km'to'vvibrate, and withitthe type-driver J, whosefnnction has been alreadydescribed. An'otherilever, L, hungloosely on theend 'of theshaftKW, isclose alongside of the lever U, 'andisoperated through the lever L' bythe cam N.' (Shown in dotted lines behind the cam M, in Fig-4, and infull li1ies,-Fig. This VleverL has `a spring-tongual, projecting inwardnear its'uppefr en'd,`s in Figs". 2 and 8.. -.In these figures thetonguefisshown,composed of aspring.4 In' Figs.y 15 'to 20 the ton glieis rigid in itself,l vilratingupon a center, and. Ycontrolled hy anindependent spring. The operations of these forms are identical.

The 4object of this spring-tongue 15 is to guide the type into thecarrier T', where it is held when driven forward by the type-driver J;and for that purpose the spring-tongue at the end'of the lever L movesin advance of the lever U, passes behind the spring S", and assunieslheposition shown in Figs. 8 and 18. The type I is then driven forwardbythe type driver J, and forces sidewise the spring'- tongue at the endof the-lever L, and at the same time through it moves sidewise thespring S' (which rests 'upon the springtongue in the lever L) in thecarrier T', as in Fig. 19, and so permits the type I to be caught underthe spring S'" fixed upon the side of thecarrier T. The leverL is thenwithdrawn',-

and with it the spring-tongue, leavingy the type caught and held in thecarrier, as in Fig. .20; and then the type-driver J is withdrawn,

and the lever 8 presses up the movable rest 7v against the line of type,ready for a repetition of the operation.

Figs. 15 to 20 present a modified form of the detached while the line ismoving forward under the pressure of the weight or spring which -ispushing it into the machine, and at the saine time, as each type isdetached from the line, to apply to it the pressure necessary to .carryit into the carrier. In this modification the typedriver J is separatedfrom the lever. 'U and made to slide in a channel or groove in ,theframe for that purpose, and is moved backward and forward in astraiglitline'instead of in a curve, as shown in Fig. 4; Thistype-driver is operated on by the lever U, through the pin P4, and thehole in the lever elongated in the direction ofthe motion, seas topermit either the pin'or the lever to move without moving the other. "Aspring, S2, presses against the back end of the typedriver and tends toforce it forward. The shape of the cam M on the driving-shaft is suchthat When the lever U is carried backward, so as to withdraw thetype-driver from-' contactv with the type and out of theway of the lineof type, the spring S2 is compressed,

and as the` cam revolves and the lever J',

which operates the leverU, is drawn forward by the spring S4, whichholds its end in contact with the cam, the elongated opening in.

the end of the lever U, through which vthe pin P4 passes, permits thelever U to come for'-A ward without necessarily moving the typedriverwith it, the effect of which is that the l type-driver, during thattime, is driven by the enough to detach' spring S2, which is strong theforward type in the line and `drive it for- Ward, without putting uponit any more pr'e's's;` ure than is necessary for that purpose, there-vby diminishing the friction resulting from the movement of the line oftype which would hel prodncedlby the application of a. pressure greaterthan necessary to detach. a single type. When the spring S has detachedthe type and carried it forward a short distance, then the shape of thecam permits the lever U to overtake the type-driver J, and to drive thetype into the carriers with the greater power applied to that lever bythe coiled spring S, or substituted weight used for 'that purpose. Thismodification makes the machine work more easily, and renders less powernecessary upon the line-follower G, which shoves the lille of typeendwise into the machine.

Figs. 15 to 20 show also' the tongue 15 constructed to operate in aright line. 1t is swung at its rear end on hangers forming a part of theright-line slide C", which is operated on by the lever L through the pinP5. The tongue 15 is`pressed inward by a spring, c", fast upon the sideplate 26, and extending through an elongated slot in said plate intoengagement with said tongue. More precision is' gained by -thestraight'line movement` and by sepa-rating the parts at the pin P.

These modifications ot' detail are exhibited as the best which haveoccurred to the inventor; but the principle of action is capablev ot avariety of arrangements without substan tial alteration.

The next instrument in the operation is the.

carrier, whose oice it is tof carry the type from the place where it isreceived to the place where it is linallyjwithdrawn from it anddroppedthrough a conductor into its appronsto insure uniformitv in thesize and bearings of the entire series which are used in the machine.These carriers are cored out to permit the ejector R to work in them, asshown in Fig. 11. A spiral spring, 16, is soinserted in the longitudinalslot in the ejector as to torce it back in the carrier to give room forthe type I, as shown in Fig. 7, where o'ne of the type is representedin' frontof the ejector und held fast by the spring S'. This ejector canbe drawn forward, compressing the spiral spring 1 6, rand moving farenough to push the typeI out ot' the hold of spring S. The

spring S is fixedv inthe side of the carrier,` and when' the type isinserted under it holds,

it there until the ejector is brought into action to detach the type.There are as many of thesecarriers needed as at least twice the numberof denomination of type which-are to be used in the machine In the bedBof the machine there are two ways, Z, separated 'from' each other by apartition B", Fig. 7, in which ways the carriers move step by step inopposite directions. In Figs. 2, 23, and 2i these, carriers T' are shownin plan arranged in rows in the two ways When the machineis at restthese two ways are tlled with the carriers, except space for one carrierat the entrance end of. each way At 'the entrance end of the `front wayone ol these carriers is in the position shown in 8, ready to receive atype. When the type has been inserted in the manner: already de scribed,both rows of carriers are moved lengthwise in opposite directions. Thisoper ation is performed by plungers'H H, Figs. 2, 23, and 24, the motionofoue' of `which will now be described: A doubletaced cam, Y',constantly revolved by the main shatt O, bears on one side against afriction-roller, Z', pivoted in the end of a slide, X', to the oppositeend ot'l which the pl'unger-actua.ting lever V' is hung. v This lever Vis thus vibrated, and imparts short reciprocations to the plunger Hthrough the pl'ungershaft 0, with which the end ot' the lever engages.When the swell of Ithe. cam Y passes the friction roller Z', the slidethus relieved from it is moved in the opsite direction by a spring, 24,on the plungershaft 03, and the front row ot' the carriers T' is thusmoved lengthwise a distance equal to the thickness of a single carrier.The plun ger H, which moves the rear row ot' carriers, is actuated byprecisely the same means, namely, a plunger-shaft, 0, lever V3, slideX4, and friction-roller Z. actuated from the opposite side or face ofthecam Y', their position andinotions being the connterpartot' those justdescribed with reference to the plunger H. Though this mechanism isarranged to vin ove therows of carriers onward by .the

motion derived from the springs 03,04, and to retract the pl-ungers bymotionvderived from the cam, the reverse operation may be l accomplishedby reverse movements o t' thel same mechanismthat is, by permitting thecam to drive the-plungersI and the'sp'ringsto withdraw them. But thefirst method is preferable, since in case of any sticking ot' the`carriers there is less liability tov injure the mechanism. v i f v Whenthese plungers'are withdrawn lspace is let't between the faces ot',plunger and the end of its row of carriers wide'euough for anothercari-ier, andinto these. spaces one of the carriers from the rear row isforced forward, and one ofy the carriers from the front row isforcedbackward, as in Fig. 24. This operation is,Y pertormedubydriversy`A, Figs. 2, 4, 23, and 24, which are bars movedv forwa'xrd andbackward by Vthe grooves 28.,0fcams Q"f on the main shaft, operatingthrough studs or rollers the twolevers, one of w hich',f l, isseen inFig; 4. These drivers A are eachtitted at Aits front end with a latch, Epressed by a spring, 17, into aposition for en aging with the carrier.The' latch upon the river which forcesthe carriers" of the rear rowforward is `shown in Fig.`4 as springing iubehlnd the carrier, and asthis driverA/ff'is movedforward nie lawn retains um;v position., towingthe carrier before it, as in Fig. 2 4', butas'the i out carrying with itthe slide I.

driver is withdrawn, the latch E is pressed outl of the way by thecarrier which has been moved into position by its plunger until itpasses the extreme end of that carrier, when 1t springs across itsend,and is in position to force it forward. The latch upon the other driverA, which forces backward a carrier from the front row, is operated in `asimilar manner, but springs inward in front of the carrier instead ofbehind it. The effect prol duced by these two drivers is that theysimultaneously transfer one carrier each from the opposite ways, thuslling up the space in each way left by the last movement sidewise oftheend carrier of each row by .the plun gers H H", and leaving a vacantspace into which one from each of the rows of carriers can be forced, asLefore described. The effect of the operation of the'plungers H H" andthe drivers A"jis, that at each revolution of the main shaft 0 of themachine every carrier is moved one step onward-that is, each carrier inthe front row is moved one step to the right, each carrier in the rearrow is moved one step to the left, the advanced carrier in the front rowis moved backward to the beginning of the rear row, and the advancedcarrier in the rear row is moved forward to the beginning ofthe frontrow.

The object of this movement of the carriers step by step is to bring thetype that are held in them successively into positions where they can beselected by the automatic selecting apparatus, .which constitutes thenext important part of the machine, and which will now be described.

This apparatus consists of a series of hooks, S', pivoted at 23 toreciprocating slides I", which are guided between division-plates K",and vibrate forward'and backward in a line at right angles to the waysin which the carriers move. There are at least as many of these hooks asthere are denominations of 'type used in the machine, and their oice isto withdraw the type from the carriers at the proper time. Figs. '7 and8 exhibit this part ofthe apparatus in sectional elevation and in plan.W is the vibrating frame, which is moved by two rods, F, which rods aremoved by a cam on the main shaft, operating upon them through pins 3fixed on arms F4 depending from each rod, one of which is shown in Fig.4. The cam is shown by the curved dotted groove 27, in which the pin 3travels. This cam i's so shaped as to vibrate the frame W forward andbackward while 'the carriers arc at rest in their ways. 1n this instancethis cam-groove 27 is on the inner face of the cam Q, whose outer faceactuates the lever T. But in practice these devices would be driven byseparate cams. The reciprocating slide I, which carries each ofthe hooksS', is notched at 29 to tit over the frame W, as shown in Fig. 7, and ispressed forward toward the carriers by the spiral spring 14. This spiralspring permits the frame W" to move forwardwith, The inner -dottedlinesin Fig. 7.

ends of the slides I are provided with 'pins L", which are arranged indifferent positions Afor every denomination of type, and constitute thefeelers for the type, the type being nicked to correspond with theposition of these pins for each denomination. Each slide I is alsoprovided with arest-block, 13, projecting over the top of the slide.This restblock is carried on and fast to a rod, J, moving in the slide,and actuated by a spiral spring, which tends to keep its forward endbeyond the face of the slide and in alignment with the outer ends of thefeeling-pins. On this rest-block the hook S' is supported by its lug 0,so that it cannot fall low enough to catch the point of the ejector lt,but when the rest-block is pushed backward the hook can fall and catchthe point ofthe ejector. The front plate Y is perforated with holes insuch positions as to allow the rods J and the feelers L" to reach thetype, as will be described. M, Fig. 7, is a bar which holds the slidesI" in place, and also serves to elevate the hooks S as they arewithdrawn, by means of their cam-projections N.

The operation of this selecting apparatus is as follows: As the slidesI" are brought forward the feelers Lll come lin contact with the typesin the carriers, if there are any. It" the feelers L find nicks in thetype corresponding with them, they will enter those nicks,

and so the slides l" canadvance along with the movement of the frame Wuntil the feelers reach nearly or quite to the bottom of the nicks, asshown at Fig. 7, where I is a type, and where the feelers arerepresented in one of the slides as reaching to the bottom of the nicks.When the feelers have thus entered the nicks, the sliding-rod J,carrying the rest-block 13, comes in contact 'with the type, and isarrested in its forward movement; but as the slide l is still advancing,it is appa-` rent that the spiralspring on thesliding-rod J must becompressed, and the rest-block on that sliding-rod stand still iureference to the lug O on the hook which is advancing. When the lug Ohas passed forward beyond the rest-block, the hook drops and catchesover the point of the ejector R, as shown in When the frameW returns, itcarries with it the hook which is engaged with the ejector R. and thetype I in the carrier T is drawn out from the hold of spring S' andasthe hook is still further withdrawn, the cam N comes in contact with thebar M", and the hook is lifted-'out of engagement with the ejector,which being released, is forced back by its spring 16 to its normalposition in the carrier, and so makes room in the carrier for it toreceive another type in front ot' its ejector R when it shall have againreached the proper place. But it' the feelers L, as the slide l isbrought forward, do not tnd nicks in the type corresponding with them,they come in contact with the smooth edge of thetype, and of coursearrest the further movement of the slide I,

in which casethe frame W'" still continues its movement, and compressesthe spiral spring 14, without inj uring the type. Under these cir-vcumstances, the slidingrod J" is not pushed backward, and thehook istherefore held by the lug O", and not engaged with the ejector.

The manner in which this apparatus selects the type is very apparent.Each carrier holding a type presents it successively to the feelers ofeach of the slides I". If the feelers of any slide do not findcorresponding nicks in the type, they' can not. enter, `and consequentlythe vtype is not disengaged from the carrier, but is moved on anotherstep and presented to the feeders of the next slide, and so on until itVcomes to a slide whose feelers correspond with its nicks, when it isdrawn into the recess or way 19 formed in the front plate Y, Figs. 9 and23, disengaged and directed into a conductor P, which guides -itdownward into its appropriate groove or channel in the case As thepresence of a type in a carrier reaching the receiving position wouldprevent a new type from being inserted, and thus derange the machine,the last hook is allowed to drop and engage with the ejector of the lastcarrier inthe front row at each forward movement of the frame W'", andthus to disengage from each carrier presented to it whatever type mayhave passed thep're ceding hooks. This prevents the retention of a typeby any carrier passing from the front to the rear row. As there are somecharacters of comparatively infrequent use, which are not nicked, andconsequently. will not be withdrawn by any of the slides carryingfeelers, this provision is necessary.

The conductors are thinmetal rectangular pipes` P, Figs.v 1, 3, 4, and9, large enough to pi-rmit'the type to drop freely through them, and notlarge enough to permit the type to turn in them. These conductors aretwisted ninety degrees, so that the types which enter them at the topwith their nicks facing the front of the machine, are turned one quarteraround, and when they reach the bottom of the conductor have their nicksfacing one end of the machine, and are f dropped into the channels ofthe case with their nicks all Vfacing one side of the same.

The case W is also shown at Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and consists of a numberof partitions,a, dividing the case into a series of grooves or channels,b, each wide enough for a type, into which the types are dropped fromthe conductors P. This case is removable from the machine, and issupported on bearing P', where it rests in an incline position Vwhich ishighest at its receiving end, thus inclinin g the types forward uponeach other, in which position they are retained by gravity, as isapparent.

Ineach channel is a spring-slug Q', against which the line of typesrests, and which readily slides as additional types are dropped in andadvanced, as will now be described. The lever R is fast to the shaftQ,and its freeend follows a double cam U", see Figs. 2 and 3, on themain shaft 0, in contact with which itis held bya spring O'. This shaftQvibrates a series of levers It, each extending into its appropriate-lgroove -b of the case W, as 'in Fig. 4. Each revolution of the mainshaft -thns vibrates the whole series of levers B.v twice, pushingforward each type as it drops, and with it the whole row before it, adistance equal to the thickness of that type, thus leaving roomforanother type to drop in when the levers are moved rearward. There aretwo forms in which this apparatus for pushing the type into the grooveofthe case may be made, both shown at Fig. 4. In the arrangementlattached to the machine the levers R have a curvilinear motion. tusrepresenting the same'operation the levers R have a right-line motion,thereby 'avoiding any tendency to lift the type in the case. Either planwill work but the one shown detached is preferable. when the case isfilled with type itmay be removed, and an empty one substituted, so thatthe machine may be kept constantly at work.

The machine is driven by a belt which runs:

upon the pulley A', Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, and it is desirable toyhave an apparatus which will instantly -errest' the -movement of A theshaft 0, in case of obstruction in the operation of the machine. Thisobject is accom lished by the apparatus shown iu detail at Fig. 5. Thepulley A' drives the machine by means of the friction of its interiorsurface upon the leather disk R, which is rbetween it and themetal diskB', and is pressed against the leather disk R by the spiral. spring 1"',which is inthe hub V, and which is compressed by the screw A"". 0n theinner side of the disk' B' is another disk,(}'", and a leather disk, R",between them. This inner disk 0"" is connected, by two columns, D', toan outer. cross-bar, C', which is mounted on the hub V. When the springI'" is at liberty to act, it presses against the head of the screw A'"'and against the bottom ofcthe hub V, forcing the pulley A' against theoutside of the leather disk R5, and creating a friction between thepulley and the metallic disk B' attached to the hub R', through whichthe shaft() is driven. But when the hub V is drawn out, so as towithdraw it from contact with the head of the pulley A', thefriction onthe outside of the leather disk R5 is taken away, and if the hub V iswithdrawn far enough, itwill apply friction to the disk B' through theinside leather disk R", and as the disk 0"" cannot revolve because thecolumns D' will come in contact with the belt, the machine must bestopped. When the machine is in operation, a lever, F', which isconnectedl with the rod G', is in the position indicated by the solidlines in Fig. 5, and the rod G' is caught by a notch in an arm, I', fastto the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 6, which is another viewof that part In the detached apparivof the apparatus. The bent leverL"", Figs. etand 5, has one end 30 of it overreaching the hub R', whichis fast on the shaft (l), through which the machine is driven. This hubhas a cam Vwith a number of projecting steps, as seen at VM', upon it...which will strike the end 30 of the lever L"" unless it is movedsidewise out of their way; and it they do strike it, they will tilt thelever Iz"" and depress its inner end 3l. Its inner end 31 rests upon therod G', on the same side of it as the notched arm I', and if that leveris tilted it will depress the rod G', and liberate it from the notchedarm I'. The plunger-shaft O3, which moves the carriers, rests againstthe bend ot' the lever L', which has a motion around its fnlcrum K' atright angles to its tilting motion, as shown in Fig. 6. The spring N""keeps the lever L"" in contact with the end of the plunger-shat`t O3.When the machine is in operation, if the plunger-shaft O3 is worklngproperly', the end 30 ot' the lever L"" will recede at the time when thesteppedcam M' is nearly in contact with it; and as the stepped cam M'revolves, the lever-end 30 is vibrated horizontally, and so prevents thestepped cam M' from engaging with it. Butii' from any cause the carriersare not moved their appropriate distance, the end 30 of the lever is notvibrated out of the way of the stepped cam M',

and, as a consequence, the said cam M' engages with and raises that'endof the lever, depressingr its opposite end, and unhooking the rod G fromthe notched arm I'. When this happens, the spiral spring C" on the rodG' forces the end ot' the lever F' outward, its inner end beingsupported upon a fnlcrum at 33, and, as a consequence, the hub V isdrawn awayby the hellend-socket connections at E', and the frictionbetween the pulley A' and the disk B immediately suspended, while at thesame time friction of rest is imposed through the vdisk 0"", and themachine instantly stops.

It is apparent that the new mode of operation exhibited in the mechanismherein described may be practiced by the aid of details in machineryquite different from those eX-hihyited in the single form presented bythe drawings makingfpart ot' this description. As is well known tomechanics, the different movements of the working parts of this machinemay be imparted to them by means oi' cams or gear-wheels arrangeddifferently from those herein exhibited,and proba-bly no two mechanics,having the new mode ot' operation herein described presented to them,would construct a machine in precisely the same form. When the-impellingmechanism is shown as driven one way by a positive motion and the otherway by a spring, it is apparent that the motion may be reversed in mostcases, and it is apparent that the relative positions of the cams may bechanged, in which case the leversor slides would assume different shapesand directions. The invention does not con? with actuating means,substantially as described, whereby it is forced against the type, firstby a feeble spring-pressure, sufficient only to detach the type from itsconnection with the lille of type, and afterward, when the type has beendetached, by a stronger spring-pressure, for the purpose' of carryingthe type into a position where it iscoritrolled by another mechanism inthe distributingmachine.

2. The combination, with a type-dr-iver and l a type-carrier, of anlelastic tongue, which is moved in advance of the movement of thetype-driver, and which constitutes a guide for leading the type into thecarrier as it is forced in by the type-driver, and which opens theclutch ofthe type-carrier, substantially as described.

3. In a type-distributing machine, type-carriers, each so constructed asto receive andhold a type, each carrier being a complete independentremovable instrument for that purpose by itself', substantially asdescribed.

4. I n combination with the type-carriers, two plungers, constructedsubstantially as described, moving in opposite directions, the oneoperating on the front and the other on the' rear row of carriers, orother equivalent. devices for moving al number of type-carriers withanintermittent motion,. permitting an l interval of rest for the purposeof removing the type, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the type-carriers, two drivers, constructedsubstantially as described, moving in opposite directions,simultaneously acting, the one forcing one carrier from the front to therear row, and the other forcing one carrier from the rear to the frontrow, with an intermittent motion, substantially as described.

(i. The combination of' cams Q2 and Y' with the plungers and drivers,substantially as described, for presenting a constant succession oftype-carriers to the type-driver, a single one at each stroke of thetype-driver, for the purpose of receiving the type, substantially asdescribed. l

7. In combination with the vtype-carriers, the two pairs ot'channel-ways for the movement ot' the carriers, arranged and constructedsubstantially as described, so that the rows of carriers in each pairwill be moved in lines parallel to each other and in oppositedirections, substantially as described. 4

8. The combination of the hook or catch,

in the carrier, substantially as described.

for ejecting `the type from the carrier, with a wit-l1 a. series ofhooks or catches for ejecting sliding detenl. for dropping the hook intoacthe type from the carrier at the appropriate tion, and aslide armedwith projecting pins places, substantially as described. for determiningthe denomination ot' the type CHARLES W. DIGKINSON \Vitnesses:

JOHN R. YOUNG,

CLEMENT l. DxoKINsoN.

9. The combination ot' independent traveling carriers, carrying type tobe distributed,

